Which of the following processes results in an increase in entropy of the system?
a. A drop of ink spreading out when it is placed in water
b. Steam condensing into drops on windows
c. Constructing a building from loose bricks
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Identify the concept of entropy: Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system. Processes that increase disorder tend to increase entropy.
Analyze option a: A drop of ink spreading out in water increases the disorder of the system as the ink molecules disperse throughout the water, leading to an increase in entropy.
Analyze option b: Steam condensing into drops on windows decreases the disorder as gas molecules become more ordered in the liquid state, leading to a decrease in entropy.
Analyze option c: Constructing a building from loose bricks decreases the disorder as the bricks are organized into a structured form, leading to a decrease in entropy.
Determine which process results in an increase in entropy: Based on the analysis, option a, where the ink spreads out in water, results in an increase in entropy.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Entropy
Entropy is a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system. In thermodynamics, it quantifies the number of microscopic configurations that correspond to a thermodynamic system's macroscopic state. A higher entropy indicates a greater degree of disorder, while a lower entropy suggests a more ordered state.
Spontaneous processes are natural occurrences that lead to an increase in the overall entropy of a system and its surroundings. These processes happen without external intervention and typically move from a state of lower entropy to higher entropy, reflecting the second law of thermodynamics.
Phase changes, such as the transition from liquid to gas or solid to liquid, often involve changes in entropy. For example, when a substance evaporates, it moves from a more ordered liquid state to a less ordered gaseous state, resulting in an increase in entropy. Understanding these changes is crucial for analyzing the entropy changes in various processes.